Route 78 truck crash in Hunterdon County remains under investigation

A truck crash that shut down Route 78, injured both drivers and snarled traffic on the roadway for more than 12 hours through this morning's commute was still under investigation tonight by State Police.

The collision between the box truck and a tractor-trailer carrying 4,000 pounds of liquid oxygen occurred around 10:45 p.m., causing the highway to close in both directions near exit 15, police said.

Express-Times Photo | TIM WYNKOOPTraffic backs up on Route 78 West bound at mile marker 14.7 in Union Township Wednesday night after a two-truck wreck. One tanker truck was reported to be overheating and leaking oxygen.

The liquid oxygen, used in industrial processes to enhance heat and in hospitals for patient care, slowed the wreckage's removal, Gavigan said.

"The concern here was that we had two vehicles connected by the collision," Gavigan said. "With the presence of oxygen, we didn't want to use a heat force to separate them."

As the two drivers were removed from the scene with non-life threatening injuries, state police evacuated businesses in the area and closed the highway, Lewis said.

Eastbound traffic backed up from exit 11 to the Pennsylvania border at one point.

Lewis said Lakes was airlifted to Morristown Memorial Hospital with moderate injuries and Pineyro was taken to Hunterdon Medical Center with minor injuries.

Initially, authorities considered evacuating everyone within a mile radius of the accident, which would have included a good portion of nearby Clinton Township, said Union Township Mayor Patricia Dziubek.

The move was called off after a Linde representatives said it would not be necessary, Dziubek said.

"Fortunately, it was a positive outcome of something that could have been quite a disaster," she said in a phone interview yesterday.

Gavigan said the company's emergency response manager was at the scene within an hour, advising on-scene hazardous materials crews and state police.

"In an instance like this, when we were rare-ended, it's very unfortunate situation," Gavigan said. "But we've got one of the best safety records in the industry and we do a tremendous amount of training within the organization and with fire responders across the country."

The oxygen was eventually off-loaded into another tanker, which carried the cargo to Linde's facility in Bethlehem, Pa., the truck's original destination, he said.

The box truck was carrying 18,085 editions of the Warren Reporter, the local newspaper reported. The papers were reprinted yesterday afternoon.

A resurfacing project is under way in the accident's general area, but yesterday's construction was not near the wreckage, said Eric Phalon, a DOT spokeswoman. Construction work will continue tonight.